This invention relates in general to a method of removing or extracting a driver from a vehicle, such as, from a racing vehicle having an open cockpit or open driver compartment.
Typically, racing vehicles have a driver compartment surrounded by body panels which form the exterior of the vehicle. In racing vehicles having an open driver compartment, the driver enters and exits the compartment through an opening exposing the upper portion of the compartment. The driver's head can be exposed from the compartment. A seat for the driver is disposed within the compartment. The seat can be fastened to the vehicle, such as by a plurality of bolts, or the seat can rest in the compartment unfastened to the vehicle. A safety belt harness secures the driver and the seat within the compartment.
Under certain circumstances, such as after an accident which has caused injury to the driver, the driver must be carefully removed or extracted from the driver compartment. The driver can be removed from the compartment by first unbuckling the driver from the safety belt harness and then lifting the driver off of the seat and remove the driver from the compartment through the opening. However, these procedures may injury to the driver because the posture or position of the driver's head, neck, torso, and/or limbs are often shifted relative to the rest of the body. This shifting can aggravate or even cause more severe injuries for the driver.
It has also been known to first secure the driver to a support prior to removal from the seat. The rigid support is a separate component provided by the safety or rescue team. A common support includes a plurality of rigid elongated strips arranged in a parallel planar orientation within a generally flat flexible fabric material. The support extends from the lower back to the head of the driver. The support is inserted behind the driver's back such that the strips are aligned with the spine of the driver. The support provides vertical support such that once the support is secured to the driver, the spine is generally immobilized from forward and rearward movement. The plurality of elongated strips allows the support to generally wrap around the back of the driver, while providing the vertical support. The support can be secured to the driver by a plurality of straps extending across the driver's lower back and chest. Once the support is secured, the driver is removed from the driver compartment by manually grabbing the body of the driver and lifting the driver vertically through the opening of the compartment. Once outside the compartment, the driver can be transferred to a conventional spinal board.
Although the use of the separate support can reduce some shifting of the driver's body during extraction, the driver's torso must be flexed forwardly to insert the support behind the driver. Lifting of the driver may impart injurious compressive forces on the driver's spine. Also, the support does not provide hip or upper leg support, and injuries can be aggravated during pivoting of the hip region. The straps which secure the driver to the support may also hinder breathing.